We bought a car using "cash for clunkers" ......Happy as the dog is mangy!!

[predfan]

While we own several clunkers, we actually had one that qualifies!
Traded in a '93 Voyager, swapped some furniture for it four years ago and if ever one needed retiring this is it, since the gas gauge didn't work the gas tank was probably the most valuable thing about it.

We'd never have bought a new car, but the CFC program eliminated our drive-out depreciation. In fact, according to several websites, we should be able to drive about 3 miles and still have a vehicle worth what we paid.

[Wickerman]

1. Its an interesting program

and it should stimulate the economy, add scrap steel to the resource pool and get a buncha crap off the road. I suppose I should consider letting loose one of my pieces of crap.

http://www.cars.gov/

[LuckyLib]

2. On the other hand, as one LTE wrote in our paper, folks who drove gas guzzlers for years are now

rewarded. Those who tried to be responsible, driving more fuel efficient cars? Not so much.

[Wickerman]

4. Quite true

But if we don't offer an incentive to those who have in the past driven the hogs, what WILL make them change?

[ShortnFiery]

7. Yes, always appeal to the squeaky wheel and screw those of us who

have purchased fuel efficient cars over our entire lifetimes. :(

[Wickerman]

9. well, that is certainly one way to look at it

However, it really does nothing to move forward towards a better environment and economy.

[ShortnFiery]

12. Neither does this "slush" because people will not change because it is right but

because it suits them TODAY. No worries, those of us who live frugal and buy fuel efficient cars probably will be "just fine" anyway. ;)

[Wickerman]

19. I suspect a significant number are willing to change, want to change

and will change. A number are just idiots, too. :-)

There are many ways to live frugal. For us, we keep an economical "family" car and I drive used up pieces of shit until there is nothing left. Reuse, recycle. I figure I'm doing my part by taking an existing product, one that has already used the energy required to create, one that keeps my local mechanic in employment :-), and one that keeps our household budget manageable. If I can trade in a car past its prime and get us into a 2nd ecological car then perhaps this is the way to do so.

I suspect I am not alone.

[taterguy]

23. "Ecological car", now there's an oxymoron

[Wickerman]

25. the one we are looking at is made of hemp, has tires woven of corn fiber and byproduct

runs on water (a patented hydrogen process) reclaimed from the tears of elves, and even the paint is made of natural dies derived from soy waste.

Is that fucking ecological enough for you?

:-)


/sarcasm

[taterguy]

26. Is it made with union labor?

[Wickerman]

28. Oh yeah, sorry, I thought that went without saying

Even the management is union!

[Thickasabrick]

34. LOL!!!!!!!!! +1

[theophilus]

35. Those folks are glad that progress is finally being made, I'm sure. I am. n/t

[PVnRT]

6. So, we should not attempt to get people to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles?

The point is to try to raise the average MPG of the American "fleet," if you will. I swear, most of the people complaining about this just sound bitter that they don't get to benefit from it. Boo hoo. Not everyone benefits from every single government program.

[DevonRex]

24. We had a Blazer. Not because we wanted to guzzle gas but because

our boys both ski every weekend from October through April. If an American car company had made a vehicle that got good gas mileage which had either 4x4 or AWD, we would have bought one. As it is, we had to decide that the safety of our kids trumped all else.

So, we made do with 1 car for the last 10 years. My husband takes light rail to and from work every day. Our kids carpooled whenever they could. I work at home so I don't have to drive anywhere.

Now the boys are grown and are both moving away so for the first time we won't have to worry about them driving home from the mountains in horrible road conditions. Now we can choose a car based on what is good for the environment and what's good for American auto workers. So we just got a Malibu Hybrid.

Heh. And I now have a car with a driver's side window that actually rolls up. What luxury!

[Joe Fields]

27. may I remind you that many of those driving gas guzzlers...

couldn't afford the more efficient models without this program.

It's called the high cost of being poor.

[DevonRex]

29. +1. nt

[ieoeja]

30. They need the help. They spent all their money on gas! n/t

[dysfunctional press]

36. a lot of people bought their gas guzzlers used, because that's all they could afford...

i paid $2300 for my van that qualifies- but i can't afford a new car, regardless of the program- so my gas guzzler is staying on the road a bit longer.

[LynneSin]

3. My friend is getting a new car under the program

She just lost her husband recently and is driving around with a 96 Minivan (200k miles) and a 2003 Saturn Station wagon. The minivan qualifies for the program so with the trade-in with both and a few thousand she has saved up, she'll walk away with a brand new car.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Congrats :) we were considering this but our car was not on the

updated list.

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. Where can I find that updated list? Thanks in advance.

:hi:

[slipslidingaway]

10. cars.gov has the current info...

You're welcome :hi:

http://www.cars.gov/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-07-27-cash-for-clunkers-list-changes_N.htm

"...As it prepared for its "cash-for-clunkers" program, the government rejiggered gas mileage figures on about 100 older vehicles last week in a way that changed whether they would be eligible for up to $4,500 in sales inducements.
The Environmental Protection Agency says the changes resulted from a double-check of its fuel-efficiency ratings on more than 30,000 1984 and newer vehicles in advance of the official start of the clunkers program Monday.

About half the 100 suddenly did not qualify because their combined mileage rating was revised upward; others unexpectedly got in.

"As a result of the review, roughly an equal number of vehicles became eligible as those found to be not eligible," said the EPA in a statement. "Eligibility for about 100 vehicles was affected."

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. Thank you. My son has a '94 4Runner with 120k. I'm off to see if his qualifies.

:hi:

[slipslidingaway]

18. Hope it works out, do not delay too much as there is a limited

amount of money available. They say the plan runs til November, but some people think the 1 billion will be long gone by that date.

Instead we'll put 2K into our '92 car, makes the decision easier.

:)

[slipslidingaway]

33. Check this thread out...

Cash for Clunkers program suspended 3 months early - too successful

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8561942&mesg_id=8561942

[slipslidingaway]

11. delete - dup nt

[DevonRex]

14. We did too. We got a Malibu Hybrid after getting $4500 for our Blazer.

It's beautiful.

Congrats!

[ecstatic]

15. Great! Nice to see a positive post

in the sea of negativity.

[predfan]

16. Have a good friend working across the street who was McCain all the way,

and she has a "Hows that Hope and Promise thing working out for you" sticker on her back window.
I'm going to show her the new car and thank her for her contribution........she'll go nuts, it'll be great.

[Subdivisions]

21. You simply MUST do that and then report back to us! n/t

[Blaze Diem]

17. Glad it worked for you... my barely runing 96 Chry Cirrus won't qualify.

Lists it as getting 19 mpg BUT for me, it gets about 16. Needs A LOT of work that is too costly at the moment and its got about 130,000 mi on the rebuilt engine..but its cheap to insure & no payments, so I guess that's good.
Its a pay-go car..lol

If this car doesn't qualify as a "clunker" then they need to re-name the program.

[slipslidingaway]

20. Rec, this program might work for some people, money is limited nt

[sofa king]

22. I'll bet the Voyagers qualify.

Try this little experiment next time you're on the road: find a Chrysler mini-van built between 1985 and 1995 which still runs and is on the road. Look at the tailpipe.

See that blue cloud coming out of it? That's motor oil and coolant overwhelming the emissions control system and being pumped directly into the atmosphere. Virtually all of those vehicles have that problem. The ones you see on the road simply haven't been caught by emissions inspectors yet.

[ieoeja]

31. You should get your dog to the vet. n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

32. I'm glad it worked for you.

No snark. I am.

But I continue to think that it was a nice idea that was poorly implemented and seems to incent the wrong people.